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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Hiding My Face as a Barbarian in a Reversed World
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With the party disbanded, the goblin extermination was already out of the question. To earn money in the Labyrinth, I'd have to wait for the next opportunity.
'Though I hadn't originally come here for money.'
My reason for entering the Labyrinth had always been for exploration and investigation, not for making a fortune.
The Priest was dead, the Ranged DPS was dead. All that remained were one mad Spearman and a kind, good-hearted Warrior.
Further Labyrinth exploration was impossible.
Rustle.
I unfolded the 1st-floor map that the Armored Knight had kindly given me.
My current location was automatically marked on the map.
'The escape portal is quite a distance away...'
It wasn't the deepest part of the 1st floor, but it was deep within.
A zone where medium to small-sized goblin dens were occasionally set up for ambushes.
Somehow, it reminded me of when I first tripped into the Labyrinth.
How many days had I wandered then before reaching the portal? At least four, I think.
'But the situation was incomparably better than back then.'
The biggest difference was food.
I had brought ample water and preserved food, and my equipment was sufficient.
'There was one risk factor, though...'
I subtly checked on Jeremy. The guy who had gone mad with grief over losing his lover and made an irreversible choice.
[Jeremy LV.1]
[HP:(2) Strength:(3) Agility:(3) Wisdom:(0) Skill:(3)]
[Current Blessings and Curses Jeremy possesses: 0]
Stat-wise, he could never defeat me.
'Still, you never know.'
The Status Window didn't account for variables like fatigue, condition, or carelessness.
Was there a need to risk such dangers by staying with him?
'If I abandoned Jeremy, he'd most likely die.'
Either raped by goblins and die mad with pleasure, or unable to bear the grief of losing his girlfriend and commit suicide.
I deliberated for about ten seconds. In such an urgent situation, it was a sufficiently long time.
An uncomfortable cohabitation with a man VS a grueling march alone + the risk of being defenselessly raped by goblins due to exhaustion + the possibility of being attacked by female goblins attempting rape and sold into slavery.
Unfortunately, having lived in Valerius for the past month, I had learned just how unbelievably slaves were treated.
A life where even basic human rights weren't respected, truly closer to livestock or tools.
Dramatically, the scales tipped slightly.
"Damn it. Still, in a way, I saved him. If he has any conscience, he won't stab me in the back."
I let out an exasperated sigh.
I had vowed never to trust people easily. But it wasn't as simple as I thought.
This was all Diana's fault for restoring the warmth that had been eroding within me.
"Kerrrk, kekekerrrk!"
From a distance, the cries of goblins began to echo.
Well, it would be stranger if such a commotion *didn't* draw attention.
"Alright. Damn it, come on."
It was now or never.
***
Crackling. Crackling.
Jeremy slowly opened his eyes to the sound of the campfire crackling.
What immediately met his gaze was a wall neatly stacked with dead goblins, their eyes rolled back in their heads.
"H-heeeek!"
"Finally, you've come to your senses."
As he recoiled in shock, a low voice echoed through the cave.
"...B-Balkan...?"
"Yes. It's me. Before that, let me ask you one thing."
Shing—
Balkan smoothly drew his axe, as if water flowing, and pointed it at Jeremy.
"You. Do you remember everything? Think carefully before you speak. If you have another fit and lose your mind again, I'll abandon you."
"Huh? Remember...? Oh..."
Jeremy immediately understood what he meant.
Anya. My love. My light. The light that had been with me since I was very young was now shrouded in darkness, and my sun would never rise again.
"Ugh... H-huh..."
Nam Su-jin watched Jeremy, who had his head bowed and was exhaling breaths that sounded like neither laughter nor tears.
'Is he mad? Should I have just killed him after all?'
If I wasn't careful, I might end up like Adolf. Meaning a hole in my neck, like a skewer.
Just in case, I had confiscated his spear, but he might still rush me bare-handed.
Gripping my axe, I cautiously approached him.
"Anya... she's dead, isn't she?"
Jeremy said, still with his head bowed.
"Yes. She's dead. Adolf died too, as a bonus. You killed them."
"..."
Nam Su-jin simply stated the facts. Jeremy's strange silence lasted for a long time.
Jeremy was recalling the catastrophe he had caused. Driven mad by the death of his loved one, he had committed an irreversible mistake.
After a long silence, Jeremy spoke, his voice trembling.
"Could you... give me a knife?"
"A knife? Do you think I'm crazy enough to give you a knife?"
What if he suddenly turned on me and tried to stab me? Why would I just hand him a knife?
I frowned, looking at Jeremy.
His eyes were hollow. Those 'dead eyes,' as they were called.
'If that's acting, he'd win an Oscar.'
"Are you planning to kill yourself?"
"Yes."
The answer was without hesitation. A voice utterly devoid of attachment to life.
"I, I... I no longer have any reason to live..."
'This would be a bit of a loss, though.'
I had protected him while fighting a dozen or so goblins alone. For no other reason than to use him in combat.
But suicide? It wasn't entirely unexpected, but his resolve was so firm that I was momentarily speechless.
Think. How can I make him abandon the thought of suicide and fight monsters?
"You're not even a man. Just cut off your dick and die."
"Huh?"
Thunk!
I threw the nun's dagger in front of Jeremy. He stared blankly, alternating his gaze between the dagger and me.
"What are you doing? I gave you a knife, so hurry up and die. Seeing you talk about suicide so pathetically, instead of thinking about avenging your loved one's death, makes me lose whatever little sympathy I had for you."
Flash!
At those words, Jeremy felt a shock as if lightning had pierced his body.
'Revenge...!'
Why hadn't he thought of that?
And why hadn't he immediately charged when Anya died?
What had he done right after the battle broke out? He had been paralyzed by shock and terror, unable to move properly.
The man before him was the one who had saved him when he was blankly frozen.
If he hadn't helped, he would have just watched Anya's meaningless death and died himself.
Anya, her head pierced by a goblin, flashed into his mind.
At the same time, he recalled the goblin that had been cheerfully laughing while rummaging through Anya's head.
Grind!
His teeth ground together with a fury that exceeded all limits.
'I have to kill all those goblin bastards.'
Nam Su-jin felt the atmosphere around Jeremy, who was trembling and gripping the knife, change in an instant.
His hollow eyes, which had held nothing, began to burn fiercely with deep anger and purpose.
Even without speaking, I could tell he had made a resolution.
I could only hope that resolution would lead him down the right path.
"Have you finally come to your senses?"
"Yes. Thanks to you. Thank you, Big Brother."
'For giving me a reason to live.'
Jeremy bowed deeply to Balkan.
Not only did he owe him his life, but he had also helped him rediscover his purpose in life. What else could he call such a person but 'Big Brother'?
'He must have spoken so harshly because I was wallowing so pitifully in despair.'
How could he not be grateful?
"What 'Big Brother'? Don't get all emotional. It's like you're a queer."
Nam Su-jin said that and handed over the spear and the watch.
"Th-this is...?"
Jeremy, holding the spear, looked at the watch with a bewildered expression.
"From now on, you take the night watch. Wake me up in three hours."
Indeed, it was already 11 PM. Fatigue was slowly creeping in.
Diana's advice to manage my condition well came to mind.
'Tomorrow morning, I wouldn't be able to eat Diana's warm meal...'
Nam Su-jin fell asleep immediately, thinking such thoughts.
***
Thwack!
After hunting goblins and traversing the Labyrinth all night, I realized one thing.
'It's more manageable than I thought?'
I carefully managed my stamina. There was no reason to rush, and thanks to Adolf and Anya's sacrifice, I had plenty of food.
Checking Diana's watch, I took appropriate breaks as I headed for the escape portal.
Thwack!
One or two goblins rushing me were no longer a significant challenge.
'Come to think of it, food and fatigue were bigger problems than goblins from the start.'
Unless dozens of them rushed me simultaneously like when I entered their den, the reason I struggled in one-on-many fights was mostly due to fatigue.
Thud!
"Ha, got you! You bastards!"
Jeremy succeeded in stabbing a goblin to death with his sharp spear.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Apparently not satisfied with a single stab, he repeatedly thrust his spear into the already dead goblin dozens of times.
Even in a one-on-one fight, he barely managed to take it down.
Indeed, even a goblin was a formidable opponent for a Level 1 character with no additional stats.
'Then I...'
I quietly set aside the question that had fleetingly crossed my mind.
Don't inflate useless fantasies. Focus on the reality before you.
Jeremy's combat power itself was rather poor, but he was still quite useful.
As I'd felt before, having party members was definitely convenient.
It wasn't just about reducing the burden; most importantly, being able to rest properly was a huge advantage.
"Let's rest here for today. Help me build the goblin wall."
"Yes, Big Brother!"
Jeremy had continued to call me Big Brother ever since the suicide commotion. He kept doing it even when I told him not to, so now I just let it be.
"Ugh... I'm so damn tired."
It was more manageable than I thought for a disbanded party, but that didn't mean it wasn't hard.
My body had stiffened from constantly staying alert, not knowing when or where something might happen.
Walking continuously in that state, fatigue accumulated much faster.
'Come to think of it, Densi was good at scouting like this.'
Perhaps because she was a Bow-user and a Ranger, she was incredibly good at finding monsters.
She was nowhere to be seen now, having run off somewhere, but the attempted rape and my first party experience occasionally brought her to mind.
"Big Brother, you go to sleep first. I'll take the night watch."
Since he told me to sleep first, I didn't particularly refuse. It was true that I was slightly fatigued, having hunted nearly 30 goblins today alone.
[Nam Su-jin LV.4]
[Free Points: 4]
My level had also risen. It felt like the experience required for leveling up was getting bigger.
'Is this the limit for the 1st floor?'
It seemed there was a limit to how strong I could get just by fighting goblins.
I thought that next time I entered the Labyrinth, I should find a more normal party and aim for the 2nd floor or higher, and just as I leaned my head against the ground...
Thump.
Footsteps sounded.
Not one or two. At least four or more.
'30 meters away, exactly seven people.'
My senses, enhanced by the Great Helm, precisely informed me of their location and number.
I instinctively stood up and drew the axe from my waist.
"Jeremy. Get your weapon."
"Huh? Weapon...? What are you extending?"
"Grab your spear!"
At my shout, Jeremy, though flustered, gripped his spear.
I cautiously poked my helmeted head over the goblin wall.
"Oh, damn it..."
I found one fatal flaw in the goblin wall.
If your hearing wasn't exceptionally good, your vision would be blocked, and you might not spot an opponent until they were right in front of you.
"...Wow. What a coincidence. We meet again here, don't we?"
A woman smiling sweetly. A face I'd seen at the Explorer's Guild.
The one who had offered to treat me well and invited me to her party. Her intentions were too obvious, so I had refused.
"Sister. Is that someone you know?"
"Yes. I saw him briefly. Just for a moment."
A figure who had emerged from behind the woman asked her.
Behind the woman stood five other women, armed with knives that dripped blood.
Their equipment was also splattered with red blood. The atmosphere was ominous.
"...Hmm. As expected, my eyes weren't mistaken."
The woman scanned me with a sticky gaze from the tip of my helmet to my feet, as if appraising me.
But I couldn't focus on her gaze.
Because my gaze was fixed on what was below the woman.
With his head pressed down as if it were the woman's elbow rest, staring at me with a shocked expression.
"Ah, ah..."
Densi was there.
"R-run!"
After Densi shouted.
Whoosh!
With a sound of tearing wind, the woman moved instantly.
I quietly wondered.
[Deluna LV.10]
[HP:(2) Strength:(4) Agility:(3) Wisdom:(6+4) Skill:(5)]
It didn't seem like *I* was the one who needed to run.
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